Ethiopia PM orders ‘final’ offensive against Tigray leaders

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ADDIS ABABA, Nov 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday
ordered Ethiopia’s army to launch a “final” offensive against Tigray’s
dissident leaders in their regional capital Mekele, saying the deadline for
their surrender had expired.

Abiy, the winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, late Sunday gave the
Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) 72 hours to lay down their arms.

The ultimatum was rejected by the leaders of the region, whose forces have
been fighting federal troops in the country’s north for three weeks.

The violence has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced more than 40,000,
with some refugees claiming Thursday that Ethiopia’s army has blocked a main
road to Sudan, preventing those fleeing the conflict from crossing the
border.

Ethiopia’s army — which in recent days said it was advancing on Mekele
with tanks — have been directed “to conclude the third and final phase”
against the TPLF, Abiy said.

“In this final phase, great care will be given to protect innocent
civilians from harm. All efforts will be made to ensure that the city of
Mekele, which was built through the hard work of our people, will not be
severely damaged,” Abiy promised.

He said “thousands” of TPLF militia and special forces had surrendered to
federal forces before the deadline lapsed.

It was not immediately clear how close the army was to the city. A
communications blackout in Tigray and restrictions on reporting have made
verifying claims from both sides difficult.

– ‘Carefully devised’ strategy –

Diplomats briefed on the fighting told AFP on Wednesday that federal forces
were at least 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Mekele to the north and the
south.

The threatened assault and fears for Mekele’s half a million inhabitants
accelerated diplomatic efforts to mediate, with the UN Security Council
holding its first meeting on the crisis on Tuesday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged “the leaders of Ethiopia to do
everything possible to protect civilians” as the US, EU and other
international powers encouraged mediation through the African Union (AU),
which is headquartered in Addis Ababa.

Rights groups have warned bombarding Mekele could constitute a war crime.

“Despite the Ethiopian military’s warnings to residents, warnings alone do
not absolve the government of its obligation to take constant care to protect
civilians, particularly when using airpower and heavy weaponry” in congested
urban areas, Human Rights Watch said.

Abiy stressed that Ethiopia’s defence forces had “carefully devised” a
strategy to defeat the TPLF in Mekele without harming civilians or public
property.

“We call on the people of Mekele and its environs to disarm, stay at home
and stay away from military targets” and assist by handing over TPLF elements
in their midst, Abiy said.

– Humanitarian crisis –

Abiy ordered troops into Tigray on November 4 following alleged attacks by
TPLF forces on federal military camps in the region.

He has resisted appeals for talks. His government signalled it would meet
the AU envoys “as a matter of respect”, but flatly refused to negotiate.

As international pressure mounted this week, Abiy issued a strongly-worded
statement rejecting outside “interference” in what he labelled an internal
“law enforcement” operation.

Since the fighting began, rockets have fallen on the Eritrean capital
Asmara and Ethiopian cities outside Tigray, spurring fears the conflict could
destabilise the wider Horn of Africa region.

Hundreds have reportedly been killed, although an accurate figure is not
known. Ethiopia’s rights watchdog this week said at least 600 civilians were
massacred in the Tigrayan town of Mai-Kadra alone.

The UN, in its latest crisis report, said shortages of cash and fuel were
“very critical” in Tigray and humanitarians were struggling to meet needs.

Abiy committed Thursday to opening a humanitarian access route into Tigray
and working with the UN and other aid agencies to help those in need.

More than 40,000 people have crossed into eastern Sudan, where the UN says
a “full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding” in one of the country’s
poorest regions.

“The numbers are way above the state’s capabilities,” Soliman Ali, the
governor of the border state of Gedaref, told AFP.

The number of refugees arriving in Sudan has fallen sharply in the last
week. Refugees arriving in eastern Sudan on Thursday accused Ethiopia’s army
of blocking a road at Humera near the border.

“Those seeking to reach Sudan must avoid the main road and pass through
fields without being seen by soldiers,” said Tesfai Burhano, who had just
arrived at the Lugdi crossing point.

The TPLF led the overthrow of Mengistu Hailemaria, leader of Ethiopia’s
military Derg regime, in 1991 and dominated the country’s politics until Abiy
became prime minister in 2018.

Since then, TPLF leaders have complained of being sidelined by Abiy and
blamed for the country’s woes, and tensions have flared between the regional
leadership and the federal government in Addis Ababa.